The Ego

The ego. It’s a human thing that has a mortality rate, i.e. when you die, it dies with you (here’s hoping!). Over recent years I’ve been learning a lot about the ego and I’ve been able to spot it a lot better, in others and in myself too. It’s human nature and would take a Buddhist Monk years to master the art of removing it completely. It’s the whole point of being human, as once we start to reflect inward we recognise when its talking and realising that it does not serve us or anyone else for that matter.

And you have to be so careful when you are judging someone else’s ego because are you not being egotistical yourself by doing exactly that?

How do we know if we are acting in ego? How do we know when we are putting “self” before others? Sometimes you need to put yourself first, that can be incredibly important. But at what point do you start to recognise that you are actually acting out of your own ego to serve you and you only? Because that’s the problem right there. Some people are so unaware of their own actions and treatment of others because they are so wrapped up in their own little bubble world that they either refuse to acknowledge their behaviour towards others or they don’t even know they are doing it. The saddest thing about this is that most of the people with the worst egos I have ever seen are those that I’ve met on my spiritual travels.

I can say this from the heart: I have only ever wanted to help others with their healing journey. I have been told throughout my life that I am too nice, oversensitive, emotional…..all of it, and I’ve had to deal with people, with bullies, with jealousy, with friends that have stopped talking to me because something good happened, apparently allowing people to “mug me off” because I’ve trusted them. But I don’t care about that because at the end of the day I will not change who or what I am because of someone else’s emotional baggage that they refuse to deal with (I am not immune from this either – this isn’t a “I am perfect” post). But what I want to say is this about ego and especially people who are working and preaching in a spiritual capacity:

If you talk your talk but don’t walk your walk then this will become apparent, it might not happen overnight, but it will become apparent. True authenticity shines through your soul like a laser beam. Your vulnerable followers will not see this at first. As they cling to your ego to help them on their journey as they feel this is what they need. However, the more awakened individuals will see your ego in all its materialistic glory.

So what is ego?

It only wants to serve itself and it doesn’t care about anyone or anything else. It’s also in competition with others, it doesn’t want to include, it doesn’t want to see another light shine. It has to be the brightest light without having the higher knowledge that if you let all lights shine together, the energy and power is so much greater. It looks outward constantly and because it says words without meaning, it even believes its own lies. “It’s ok, I’m spiritual, so that makes me a good person”. It believes its own lies.

Ego is addictive & magnetic. One ego sees another ego and so on, then that ego energy can grow and grow. It’s like gang culture at school, the girls or boys that stick together to torment and bully other human souls, so they can feed their addiction.

But we must always end on a positive and here it is: when you recognise that someone is very ego driven, you must try not to feel anger or resentment toward them (that’s not good energy to hold on too!). I honestly believe that most of us are so unaware during this life, that we don’t’ even know when it’s happening. We must all take the time to reflect inward, to ask ourselves if we should have acted that way, said that, done that or even felt that way. That’s all we can do. Feel sorry for those that don’t have that little internal dialogue. Because they are the ones that will take longer to learn their lesson and life in its karmic beauty will always deliver a helping of reflection and that reflection will either be within themselves or through someone else. Whether it happens in this life or the next when we leave this physical body, we are only left with soul and we see it all, worts and all.